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Wednesday, 16 January 2019

Welcome to Week I of Authors' Tips: A to Z of Writing.
If this is the first time you are visiting this series, here's a quick recap.
Authors share their tips on writing fiction - and each week we talk about various aspects of writing.
This week it's time to take a closer look at Inciting Incident
Every story has a beginning, middle and end. But what exactly is the beginning of a story? Do you start at the very beginning with the birth of a main character and move up to one particular point in your protagonist's life? Absolutely not. Doing that would be the easiest way to lose your reader (if you are writing a novel) or audience (if you are writing a movie)!

Beginning actually refers to the sequence of events which is Relevant to your story. And the Inciting Incident plays a big role in acting as a trigger for your story (as well as the Main Character). Screenwriting guru Syd Field says, 'it sets the story in motion' while Joseph Campbell calls it the 'call to adventure'.

Photo by Vladislav Babienko on Unsplash

No matter what the nomenclature, it's the precise moment or 'incident' that metaphorically ignites the Main Character's ordinary world, pushes him/her out of their regular day to day life. It is the spark that sets off a chain reaction -- one that will propel your Main Character to go off on a quest or seek a solution to the problem he/she has landed in.
It is a decisive moment and one that your character cannot ignore -- one that comes wrapped up with all kinds of potential dangers and/or consequences. Because if the problem simply goes away if it is ignored, there would be no story! So make sure your Inciting Incident is a moment that will trigger your Protagonist to react and push him/her out of his/her comfort zone.

The Inciting Incident allows you as a writer to showcase other elements of your story -- including the character traits of your protagonist. In my book Wedding Shenanigans, my Heroine Rayna Dutt is going through emotional turmoil when the book opens. She has just been dumped by her boyfriend and she is wallowing in self-pity and nursing a deadly hangover.

The doorbell rings and her ride to the airport has arrived. She has all but forgotten about her best friend's wedding for which she is supposed to catch a flight to Andaman Islands. At this point, she can refuse to go. But that is not an option for her because her best friend is depending on her for her trousseau and also because she can't let down the person who has stood by her. So, the inciting incident of the doorbell ringing literally and figuratively catapults her out of her bed and into the beginning of the story.

The second important aspect is that inciting incident also helps you clarify the tone of your book. If it's a romance it would be a different kind of incident as against a murder mystery, where it would most probably be the discovery of a dead body or the disappearance of someone important in the life of the protagonist. The inciting incident happens to the protagonist and it propels him/her to take actions that set your story rolling. Be sure to have this incident as early as possible to keep your audience hooked.

Do you have any examples to share of great inciting incidents that you have read in a book or seen in a movie? Please do post your thoughts in the comment box below.

Don't forget out to check out some of the other posts in this series....

Saturday, 5 January 2019

Hello Everyone. I'm very happy to introduce you to author Ruchi Singh and her new romantic suspense book, Guardian Angel. Many of you have probably read The Bodyguard (and if you haven't, you absolutely must!) which featured a strong woman protagonist in the titular role. This time Ruchi brings to her readers yet another awesome protagonist. Want to find out more?

Read on...

Congrats on the release of your book. Coming close on the heels of The Bodyguard, is this a
sequel or prequel? Can it be read as a standalone book?

RS: Thanks
a lot, Adite, and thank you for hosting me on your blog.

‘Guardian
Angel’ is a spin-off from ‘The Bodyguard’ and can be read as a standalone book.
It features Nikhil Mahajan, who is an important character in ‘The Bodyguard’,
as the main protagonist.

Could
you tell us a bit about your book and what inspired you to write it?

RS:
Readers loved Nikhil’s character in the previous book. I was getting quite a
few direct messages from the readers and in the reviews that they would like to
read Nikhil’s story, even if it is set prior to the ‘The Bodyguard’, as far as
timeline is concerned. So, in a sense, the readers inspired me to write this
story.

Bodyguard had a very feisty female protagonist in Esha. Could you tell us a bit
about your protagonist of Guardian Angel and why readers will love her?

RS: The
female protagonist in Guardian Angel is feisty too in her own way. She is
courageous, gritty and intelligent. I am afraid I can’t reveal too much about
her right now.

What
was the most difficult part of writing this book and why?

RS:
Rescuing Nikhil in an efficient way was the most difficult part. I wanted to
make it as plausible and realistic as possible. I lost weeks of sleep over it.
I had to re-write the entire episode three times to get it right.

Could you share an excerpt from your book please.

As I
said, I try to make my characters as realistic and human as possible, so the
following is my favourite piece…

In the bathroom, he stripped off his clothes and looked in the mirror for
the first time since the day of the bomb blast in Mumbai. He couldn’t recognize
the man staring back at him in the mirror. His hair, matted with dirt, was
stuck to his skull. The only things which were clean were his wounds and the
skin around it which had been taken care of by the hospital nurse.

He had a full-fledged beard with a patch of bandage where the skin on his
face had burned. The scar would definitely leave a reminiscence of…? Of what?
What should he call the events of the past weeks? An incident? An episode? A
misfortune? He drew a blank. In retrospect, past few weeks seemed like
something which could not be explained in words.

Pushing his confused thoughts aside he examined his leg. The burns were
deeper on the shin and thigh, the doctor had told him. He looked gaunt, a
shadow of his former self. He must have lost at least ten kg, if not more.
Sighing audibly, he unwrapped the new toothbrush and remembered his own
electrical one in his bathroom back home.

Everything unfamiliar, and every person a stranger. A new name. A new
identity. His ordeal was far from over. He picked up the new tube of the
toothpaste and felt like a beggar.

Taking the support of the wall, head bent down, he stood under the shower
with the water running down his face, and wept. The adrenaline rush of keeping
himself alive receded as he emptied the fears, worries, and helplessness of the
past month down the drain with the bathwater. The thought of being able to see
his parents soon made him more emotional. He sniffed and sniveled, and resolved
to take back control of his life. And most of all, he resolved to do something
about those monsters back in the Tral forest.

Thanks Ruchi. The excerpt is absolutely riveting. I sure can't wait to read the book.

All the best with Guardian Angel and hope to read many more books from you!

Thursday, 27 December 2018

If this is the first time you are visiting this series, here's a quick recap.

Authors share their tips on writing fiction - and each week we talk about various aspects of writing.

This week it's time to take a closer look at Genre

When we talk about fiction, we automatically think of the story in terms of genre. So, if someone were to ask you what is your book about, your first response would be to define it in terms of its genre - such as romance, thriller, mystery, comedy, drama, horror, etc. It's a quick and easy way of classifying the kind of fiction your book falls into -- and thus helps in its marketing.

But genre is much more than a system of categorising your novel. It signifies to the reader the artistic style of your story and feeds into his/her expectations of the book. As a writer you need to understand the conventions of the genre that you are writing in, so as to not disappoint your readers. For instance, if your book's genre is romance but reads more like science-fiction then you will have a lot of dissatisfied readers who bought the book expecting to read about a couple falling in love rather than one about inter-galactic warfare! Sure you can have a romance with a sub-genre of sci-fi or vice-versa as long as this is made clear to the reader.

Genre has an impact on the structure of your story, the kind of characters you develop, the plot elements, resolution and finale. What's more, it even impacts the dialogues, tone, settings and the ambience of the world in which the story is set. An edgy thriller like Gone Girl is dark as against a light, feel-good romantic comedy like Confessions of a Shopaholic. The two novels (and films) are as different as chalk from cheese in practically every element of their writing.

Consider this, if you were expecting to watch a murder mystery or crime movie, you are going to be one unhappy viewer if you found that a crime/murder doesn't happen within a reasonable period of the viewing time. This also means that the pace of the story and its narrative style is largely dictated by its genre.

Interestingly, the same story can be told in two different genres and the narrative would be totally different. Here is an example:

Patricia Highsmith's novel The Talented Mr. Ripley was made into a movie twice, once in 1962 with the title Purple Noon (Plein Soleil) and the second time in 2000 as The Talented Mr. Ripley. In the first adaptation, the movie was presented as a thriller whereas the Anthony Minghella-directed The Talented Mr. Ripley was a melodrama.

As reading preferences increase a reader has a variety of genres to choose from. And even within a particular genre, there are many sub-genres. Romance novels can be categorised as romantic drama, romantic comedy, romantic suspense and then there's women's fiction where relationships and family are the main focus but it could have some romance in it as well. Or as was earlier mentioned, romance with sci-fi.

So, if you decide to go with a genre first make sure to find out what are the conventions of the genre before you put pen to paper.

Do share your thoughts about genre in the comments below. And don't forget to check out the other topics in G:

Wednesday, 12 December 2018

Welcome to Week F of Authors' Tips: A to Z of Writing.
If this is the first time you are visiting this blog, here's a quick recap.

In this series authors share their tips on writing fiction - and each week we share our insights on various aspects of writing.

So for Alphabet F, let's talk about Flaws.

Have you met the Perfect Human who doesn't have a single flaw -- no matter how small? And I'm not talking about 'looks' here, but traits. Well, that would be well-nigh impossible. Likewise, in fiction too, we can't get away by creating the Perfect Protagonist. Why? a) Because a man/woman who doesn't have any flaws or imperfections is simply too good to be true. And fiction has to be believable. b) It would be extremely boring for a reader to read about a man/woman who is well, just too perfect!

As they say, there's no such thing as a perfect diamond. So too, with your characters. The 'flaw' is what makes your character react to a situation in a unique way and take decisions that adds drama and conflict to your story.

Here's an example from the movie Casablanca. Set in the backdrop of the Second World War, the movie tells the story of Rick, an expatriate American who runs a 'gin joint' in Casablanca. He is cynical and bitter having suffered a heartbreak. But when the girl, Ilsa, who broke his heart turns up at his bar and asks for his help so that her husband Victor can get away from the Nazis, he has a difficult choice to make. Will he use the transit letters that he has to help Victor escape or will he carry through with his plan of persuading Ilsa to run away with him?

Rick's (played by Humphrey Bogart) flaws are pretty much in evidence -- his cynicism, bitterness and his inability to put his heartbreak behind him -- and drive his actions and decisions. He wants Ilsa back in his life at any cost. Ilsa (played by Ingrid Bergman) has her own flaw -- she is indecisive and is torn between the two men in her life.

Both characters' flaws drive the story, adding drama and conflict. It also helps create a strong character arc for Rick -- from a bitter man who is obsessed about his own grief and loss to a man who sacrifices himself to save Victor from the Nazis.

In its essence, a story is all about how a character grows and evolves. This emotional growth of the protagonist is what adds to the character's appeal. He/she becomes more relatable to the reader. It adds internal conflict, helps raise the stakes for the character and makes the audience more emotionally involved with your protagonist. A flaw is that one crucial element in your character's makeup that can make all the difference to your story.

Who is your favourite character and why? Do share your thoughts.

For more tips on fiction writing don't forget to check out these posts for Week F:

Wednesday, 5 December 2018

November was a month of celebrations. Salim Saab’s birthday
fell on the 24th

It’s only in the fitness of things that such a
wonderful human being should also be acknowledged for his contributions to the
world of scriptwriting by the International Film Festival of India (IFFI) 2018
with a Lifetime Achievement Award for his outstanding contribution to Indian
cinema in the same month.

Salim Saab’s innate humanity was evident through his
acceptance speech which was read out by his son who received the award in Goa
on his behalf. Salim Saab, also later tweeted about it, and dedicated the award to his janmabhoomi, Indore, his karmabhoomi Mumbai and the film industry
and his erstwhile writing partner Mr. Javed Akhtar. He mentioned that without Javed
Saab’s contribution in his career, this achievement would not have been possible.

On hearing these words at the event, a lot of present
dignitaries were completely overwhelmed with Salim Saab’s gracious gesture, as
were countless people in Indore who were touched that he had chosen to credit
the city for his success. Indeed, this gesture is special because most do not
even feel the need to share their moment in the spotlight with another human,
never mind their birthplace. And that’s exactly what makes Salim Saab so
special.

While there is no denying that Javed Saab’s participation
has been crucial not just in the making of team Salim-Javed but also in the
historic chapter of contemporary Indian cinema, only a person as magnanimous as
Salim Saab would include another individual in his moment of glory.

Uncannily, Javed Saab used the same adjective -- “magnanimous”
– to describe Salim Saab in their first joint interview after their unfortunate
parting which in my unflinching opinion is the biggest blow and loss to the
Indian film fraternity. Marvels such as Sholay
and Deewar have transcended the boundaries
of states and languages to represent Indian cinema and after the Salim-Javed
era, only a handful of powerful scripts have been able to achieve similar
status.

When the duo was asked about their split Salim Saab very
graciously took the complete blame for it, which left Javed Saab embarrassed
and he said that only a very magnanimous man like Salim Saab could speak and
conduct himself in such a graceful manner.

This is the essence of the persona and commitment of the legend
called Salim Khan Saab. Talking about his commitment reminds me of an anecdote
where on receiving the bound script of Dostana
with “The End” written on its last page, the film’s renowned director, late Mr.
Raj Khosla had remarked that he’d been directing films for the last 25 years and
this was the first time he was seeing a script with “The End” written on it
before commencement of filming.

There is no doubt in my mind that Indian cinema has been
blessed with a personality of Salim Saab’s stature. So, let’s celebrate Salim
Khan!

Jaideep
Sen is a filmmaker and a connoisseur of the art of storytelling.